Falling into Place
by ncisduckie
Summary: Spoilers for Ch. 266. Kyoko thought her day was over when the Okami let it slip that Sho had visited her that morning. Except, things really do need to get worse before they get better... Now Ren's in a mood and she's unwilling to let him stay that way. ONE-SHOT. Please R&R!


**Falling into Place**

 **For Mustardtan, who deserves lots of love. So, once again, here's a reaction fic for 266. Sorry it took so long!**

 **It still has angst, don't get me wrong. But the ending is...better. (Mostly because I deliberately ignore the daunting last page of 266...)**

 **Lord have mercy on all of our souls for the next few chapters.**

 **. . .**

"Kyoko-chan, what's wrong?"

The okami's voice shook Kyoko from the throes of misery. She looked up and picked herself up from the ground with a long sigh. "Nothing," she lied carefully. There was no reason to let the okami know that Tsuruga-san didn't like Shotaro-and Kyoko didn't intend on explaining the _why_. This was neither the time or the place. "If he calls about his ring, tell him he's going to have to come get it himself...or send his manager at the very least. I'm very busy and do not have time to be his maid."

Her mouth dropped open. "But, Kyoko-chan, he's leaving the country today."

Kyoko smiled nervously. There was no question that Tsurugua-san and Yashiro-san were hearing this. And they're definitely going to get the wrong impression. "Even better. Maybe this will help his impulse control of showing up here whenever he feels like it." For some reason, as she spoke, it felt like the end of the world.

Ren thought he knew better. He thought he knew Kyoko well enough that he could predict every possible obstacle. But perhaps this was a punishment from Rick.

It was impossible to hide the depair he felt coursing through his bones at the okami's words. Yes, they were harmless in nature. Except they bit at his wounds. It was worthless to pretend it didn't hurt.

An inner-voice that sounded suspiciously like Yashiro-san reminded him that he should wait until he had all the facts before he allowed this to tear him apart. But he wasn't too keen on listening to that voice. He prefered stewing in his misery.

The okami caught the despaired look on Tsuruga Ren's face and it's then that she realized that perhaps she'd misspoken. She'd been in this world long enough to recognize jealousy. Unfortunately, he looked away before she could get a better look. She turned back to Kyoko and offered a weak smile. "Okay, then. I won't worry about it. Have a good day today at work."

"I'll-I'll try." Kyoko said, turning back to the car. Any minute now, Tsuruga-san would erupt like he normally did. Then the day...would be impossible to recover. She hated when he was irritated with her. And it's totally unfair because it's not like she can help the situation.

She refused to step into the car until Yashiro-san took his place in the driver's seat. But when Kyoko ducked in, she realized it was a useless effort. Tsuruga-san was looking at the window. As if nothing was wrong. _Rude_ , she thought, crossing her arms.

Yashiro sighed as he pulled away from the curb. He didn't feel the same BJ-esque anger from earlier...but the air in the car was one he couldn't quite identify. "So, Kyoko-chan-" He stopped short. There was no good way to ask about this.

"I know, I know. I should stop letting him invade my life." Kyoko sighed, looking down to her lap. "But it's truly not what you think. He was picking something up from the Taisho and Okami. It really didn't have anything to do with me." Of course, while he was over, he tried to demand that she make him a good luck charm for his travels. She'd simply instructed him to the nearest shrine...and told him to ask Mimori instead. But she didn't need to say anything about that.

He nodded and dropped the situation. That was not the answer Tsuruga-san wanted and he could only pray that he found a way to calm down his charge before his first job of the day. The last thing he needed was for another incident like last time.

The car fell silent.

"You're mad." She decided as they spent a few minutes on the road. Perhaps 'mad' isn't the proper term. There weren't his usual hate-waves emitting from his person...her hate-antennae would have gone off by now. In fact, she might even qualify this air as...sad?

No, that's not right.

What does he have to be sad about? Kyoko's been waiting since they pulled away from the Daruyama for him to yell at her about allowing Sho back into her life. It was an argument that was bound to happen except she was hoping she could have postponed the event of him finding out. But where was the yelling? The anger? The disappointment?

"Hmm?"

She hesitated. He didn't even pretend to be interested in her accusation! "You're mad. At me...I think?"

"Moga-"

"It's about Shotaro, isn't it?"

He looked away. She came right at him. Normally, if she was ashamed of something, she would normally try to hide it. So that settles it, huh? She wasn't ashamed and instead quite open about it. "I didn't know that the two of you had become so close again."

"We're not!" She sputtered. "I could never forgive him for what he did to me!"

He kept quiet.

"Tsuruga-san, you have to believe me!"

He finally spoke but made sure he looked out of the window instead of looking at her. It was the first time he regretted that Yashiro had gotten his license. This was better suited for a more private conversation. "The way...you were...when he left...seemed very friendly," he said, calculating his words. _There really wasn't a way to put that without seeming jealous, huh?_

"I-" Kyoko looked down to her lap. "I suppose things have changed, a little bit? I mean, I kinda owe all this to him, no? If he didn't break my heart...I wouldn't be where I am now. And I love acting." She dipped her head. "He's like...that annoying older brother who keeps inconveniencing me and won't go away sometimes. Or at least, he's what I think having a brother is like? If that makes any sense."

"I see..." Ren made sure he kept his voice level. It was difficult, all things considered. He didn't know why he was surprised to hear her admit it. Wasn't that exactly what she told him in Guam? Not him, Kuon. Yet...seeing the two of them together this morning was like twisting a knife in his gut.

"But I would never take him back! Not-" _Not when I love someone else._ Kyoko almost said it; the same thing she _almost_ admitted to Corn in Guam. She had to be ultimately thankful for Sho-she just said as much. Because he led her like fate right to... Right to this man beside her. Tsuruga-san. She shook off the memory and puffed her chest out in an attempt at bravado. "Not even if he begged me on his knees!"

It wasn't hard to notice that her conviction seemed lacking compared to months past. Rationally, he knew he shouldn't be so hard on her. This is the second time she's explained that she was ultimately grateful for the heartbreak. Irrationally? He couldn't help but remember his earlier impression. That heaven and hell had truly reversed and what he was witnessing...was the inevitable road to Kyoko leaving him forever to return to the arms of Sho Fuwa.

 _Had he been so self-focused on his own recovery that he'd forgotten to take her feelings into consideration?_ Of course he had. When he waged this war on fate, he'd assumed that Kyoko would be fighting on his side. And now he was at risk of losing her.

"I see," he repeated, the words bland on his tongue.

Silence fell between the two of them once again like a scratchy blanket.

She couldn't find it in herself to argue any further. Kyoko was convinced he was going out of his way to misconstrue the situation. _If he's going to misunderstand, he's going to misunderstand_. Except...no! Kyoko whipped her head up and narrowed her eyes, staring long and hard at her senpai.

Why should she be okay with this? At the very least, even if she refused to allow herself to pursue her feelings, she could consider Tsuruga-san her friend. And she wouldn't let Moko-san continue with such nonsense! So why should she let him get away with it?

"Kyoko-chan, we're here," Yashiro said quietly, breaking the uncomfortable silence. It was bad enough having to occasionally deal with angry Ren. But the two of them angry at each other? It was worse than a drama. He couldn't handle it. They were supposed to be in love, not bickering about Fuwa (again).

She refused to take her eyes off of Ren; she didn't even remove her seatbelt. "In a minute." She waved Yashiro off.

He swallowed, nervously. They weren't going to stop until one of them was dead, huh? It suddenly felt as if they both reverted to the beginning of Kyoko's career. _What happened to the love?_ "You're going to be late," he managed to squeak.

"He's right," Ren said calmly. "It's unprofessional to-"

"I don't care!" Kyoko shouted, earning odd looks from the people scattered in the parking garage. Nobody recognized her off the bat, luckily for her. "I'm not going to leave here with you going out of your way to misunderstand the situation!"

He didn't look at her; it would have been too hard to hide the shock. Was she really willing to risk her job to continue this argument? "You could get fired."

"Fine, whatever. Then your girlfriend could have the part for all I care." Kyoko snapped.

Yashiro flinched; apparently, the situation was worse than he thought. He didn't realize that Kimiko managed to convince Kyoko of a fictitious relationship. "Uh, Kyoko-chan, Morizumi-san isn't-"

She ignored him. "I mean, it's rich, isn't it? You can get mad at me because Sho won't leave me alone but you don't blink an eye when the love of your life tries to throw me off a building? I should be mad at _you_ , not the other way around!" Kyoko shouted, her face burning red. It wasn't in her nature to yell at her esteemed senpai, except this time, she was willing to make an exception.

Ren's eyebrows furrowed together and his eyes turned to his manager, who jumped at the menacing look his charge shot at him. "What was that about someone almost throwing Mogami-san off a building?"

Yashiro blanched. "Well, you see? Morizumi Kimiko has been sabotaging the Momiji role and tried to injure Kyoko so she could win...so, uh, so she could win the role."

"And nobody told me about this." He looked back to Kyoko, whose frustration faltered under his intense gaze. "But I'm guessing Fuwa knows."

"Not as far as I'm aware," Yashiro said slowly. He looked over to Kyoko, praying silently. _Please don't say she's told him. Please, Kyoko._ "We didn't even tell the president."

Kyoko shook her head. "Why would I tell him?" She asked softly, studying his dark expression. Finally, there was some anger. But it wasn't directed where she expected. _Did he really not know_? "Surely your girlfriend would have whined about how Koenji-san blackmailed her?"

Tsuruga's gaze was unwavering. "You keep saying 'girlfriend' but I have no idea how you came to the conclusion that I'm dating _Morizumi Kimiko_ of all people."

She flinched. "I-uh." There was no good way to explain this...she would have to explain how the conversation started. She would have to explain that Koga uncovered her biggest secret and Morizumi tragically overheard.

"I'm not dating anybody, Mogami-san. You, of all people, should know that." After all the time they've spent together for the Tragic Marker shoot, how could she possibly think he had time to fit a girlfriend into the picture? Not to mention the way he behaved with her when they played Cain and Setsu. _Did she really think he would dote on her like that if he was actively with someone else_? Ren sighed. _Of course, she would_.

Kyoko looked down to her lap. Why 'she of all people?' She was pretty sure he knew more about her problems than she knew about his. And everything she _did_ know, she learned through Bo. It was practically cheating. "Well, you're in love with _someone_. I just...I assumed it was Morizumi-san."

He froze. _She knew he loved someone_. "How?"

"She, uh, she told me that you gave her a pinky ring. For good luck." She picked at the hem of her shorts, unable to look at him. If she did, she was afraid he would be able to see right through her. Then he would never want anything to do with her ever again.

It wasn't lost on Ren that those were more-or-less the same words he had used to quell Kyoko's apprehension regarding the flower ring he made. But he forced himself to focus on the problem at hand: how on earth did Kyoko know he harbored feelings toward someone? Did Yashiro say something stupid while he was gone? "No, Mogami-san. How did you know about...me...loving someone? Supposedly." The last word was tacked on far too late to serve its intended purpose.

Luckily, she didn't catch that. Instead, Kyoko found herself regretting her words. She opened her big mouth and there wasn't a good way to back out of this without explaining _how_ exactly she knew his secret. Kyoko had two options: 1) Admit that she was Bo (and once again position herself for never seeing him ever again) or 2) Lie.

She'd managed to lie to the president over the phone. Could she even attempt to fool _Tsuruga Ren_ of all people? Kyoko was willing to try. "I-"

Her efforts were in vain. Before she had the opportunity to explain herself, a new voice interrupted from across the way. "Yo, Kyoko-chan! If you're late, you're only going to give me a good reason to bully you!"

 _Of course things could only get worse_. Kyoko flinched and found herself standing up straight. Here she was, being busted by someone who could only make the situation worse. While she was sure Tsuruga-san could handle it...she wasn't sure on the other person. "Koga-san," she greeted weakly. "I'll be there shortly."

"What could be so important that-" He walked over and peeked into the car, despite Kyoko's best efforts at blocking his view. His smile fell as he recognized the man in the backseat. "Oh."

Kyoko still heard the words he left off of his 'oh:' _A Lover's Spat._ Which is completely unfair and untrue. He was making assumptions about a situation that he knew nothing about! "Tsuruga-san, this...this is Hiromune Koga. He's playing the ronin in _Lotus_." She motioned helplessly between the two men, praying to nearby entities that this wouldn't dissolve into Koga getting mad at Tsuruga-san (though, it would make for a nice distraction of the current argument). "Koga-san, this is-"

Koga smiled brightly. "Tsuruga Ren, I know. I gotta keep track of my rivals or I'll wind up forever stuck in his shadow.

"I was unaware we were rivals, Hiromune-san," Ren said carefully. There had only been two others in this business that have gone out of their way to express their dislike for him: Fuwa and Bo (when they first met). So, either Koga has been Bo this whole time or he had to add a third name to the list. "But it's a pleasure to meet you, regardless.

"Ah, does the sun shine so brightly at number one that you can't keep track of the rest of us lowly actors?" Koga sneered. "I have to hand it to you; I never realized you were such a womanizer. Morizumi-san...Kyoko-chan...and now Kana-san? You must get off on stringing around talented actresses, huh?"

She flinched. _Who was this Kana-san_? It wasn't a name she'd ever heard from either Tsuruga-san or Yashiro-san. So, whatever it was...had to simply be gossip, no?

"I think you-"

"Don't be so r-"

Kyoko and Ren spoke at once but Koga waved them off. "I don't need to listen to excuses from the man himself or his loving fan-club."

"I'm not-" Kyoko burst out, her heart ready to explode from her chest. That comment could be completely misconstrued and the last thing she wanted was for Tsuruga-san to think she was a stupid girl who fell in love with him on a whim. Even if she _was_ a stupid girl who fell in love with him (she maintained that it was his magic spell, not a whim, that did her in).

"I don't care if you're in love with the man. You don't have to defend his infidelities; in fact, you shouldn't. It's tasteless." Koga intoned. "If you're going to be like this for the whole shoot, I really should have petitioned harder for Morizumi-san. At least she had the decency to try and hide her feelings."

There wasn't any use trying to argue with him, Kyoko decided. But it was humiliating, regardless. After all the lengths she'd gone to hide her feelings and now here they were: all out in the open where she didn't want them.

Tsuruga's previous sadness was wiped from his face and was replaced, instead, by an expression she'd seen only a handful of times. It was a cross between relief and...hopefulness.

Except, no. _What reason did he have to feel either of those_?

"Mogami-san?" Tsuruga inquired, turning to her. He opted on pretending Koga-san wasn't there with them, though he supposed he really should be thanking him for pulling him out of his darkness. But that would mean having a very long, awkward conversation with _why_ he was thankful. Tsuruga, instead, focused on the positive. _I don't care if you're in love with the man_.

Kyoko couldn't help herself; she blushed. "Y-Yes?"

Koga groaned at the innocent, sweet nature the interaction turned. She wasn't supposed to be blushing! She was supposed to be furious that he was two-timing her! "All these accusations and you still manage to be polite? _Man_ , that's disgusting." He sneered. "And what's with this 'Mogami' stuff?"

"I, uh," Kyoko waved her hand. This was going downhill. Fast. "It's actually my family name," she explained. Normally, nobody bothered to ask why Tsuruga-san called her that.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Now come on. You've gone and made me late with you." Koga didn't usually make it a point to be rude, politeness sold better (thanks to the stupid Tsuruga Ren in front of him). But Kyoko was getting on his nerves. She really was just a stupid girl in love with Tsuruga Ren, huh? Boring. He tugged her arm and forced Kyoko to follow him to the cast's meeting area. This was just another reason to bully her.

"I-uh! Bye, Yashiro-san! Please let me know about today's plans." She tried calling as her co-worker pulled her away. "Tsuruga-san," she said quietly to the still-open backseat, not knowing how else to say goodbye. _Was he still upset?_ No, that was silly. The air was different since Koga interrupted; it was less tense. So, that was good, at least.

But she couldn't ponder the question long before she was forced to focus on work under Koga's watchful eye. There were no mentions of Tsuruga Ren. Not even gossip.

And there were no text messages from him, either.

. . .

Kyoko deflated, realizing that Yashiro was alone as she pulled herself into the car. "Good evening, Yashiro-san!" She attempted as much cheerfulness as she could muster. It was better that Tsuruga-san wasn't there, she decided. This way she could attempt to unpack the mess that was this morning before she had to face Tsuruga-san.

He matched her uneasy tone. "Good evening, Kyoko-chan." His eyes met hers in the rearview mirror. "I'll be bringing you home for the night since you don't have any other jobs."

She bit her lip and averted her eyes. "I can stay with you. I don't mind. Really." Maybe if she stayed, they could finish their conversation? With less shouting (on her end) this time?

"Today's been rather...eventful. I think it's best if you got some rest tonight instead of staying out with me."

"Ah." She realized what he was saying right away. "Tsuruga-san didn't want to see me again tonight; he's still mad."

 _No_! Yashiro gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. _What was it with both of them that made their brains search for the worst possible scenario?_ "He's not mad," he says finally. It takes everything in him not to pull over and look her in the eyes to shake the nonsense out of her brain. "Ren is just...confused? About the Fuwa situation." He thought it was best to leave off the fact that he managed to cheer up a little bit at Koga's hint of her potential feelings. Goodness knows how she'd try to make that into a bad thing.

"I see." The words made her freeze. They were the same ones he'd kept repeating this morning. And it suddenly pulled her back into a funk. She'd almost allowed herself to forget why they were arguing. For some reason, she'd just thought she needed to explain the Koga incident. She'd forgotten about Sho. Sho who kept messing things up between her and Tsuruga-san.

Yashiro heard her resigned sigh and held in one of his own. "I don't think you'll cross paths again until after tomorrow." Damn their conflicting schedules! If either of them had time for it; he'd lock them in a closet until they worked things out (or until one of them killed the other).

"Right. I have tomorrow off..." She trailed off, thoughtfully. If only she knew Tsuruga's schedule and then she could- It hit her then, that the man-in-question's manager was sitting in front of her. "What does Tsuruga-san's schedule look like tomorrow?"

"I could text you." He's blurted a reply before he'd even thought it through. After all, she was Kyoko and Ren usually allowed her to know what would usually be classified information. Except, he wasn't so sure he would be interested in one of Kyoko's surprise visits (as much as it pained him to think it). "Is there something you had planned?"

Kyoko flinched. _Shoot_. She'd been thinking...what if there was a way to talk to him? But that's probably too much to wish for. He probably wouldn't like it if she showed up, unplanned. Especially if he was still...confused, as Yashiro-san put it. "I...I was thinking that maybe I should try to make lunch? As a peace offering But that's no good."

Besides, the thought forced her memory back to when she brought Sho lunch out off the blue. She may owe this life all to him...the memory still stung.

Yashiro nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. "Well, if you decide you want to do something...let me know." He smiled...mostly to himself. "I'll make sure Ren is there. Even if I have to tie him up in his dressing room."

The humor flew over her head; she was focused again on her thoughts. "Thanks."

If she couldn't talk to him about his woes as herself...she knew someone who _could_.

She just needed to make it to TBM without anybody noticing a missing mascot costume.

. . .

Kyoko realized this was probably a mistake. She hadn't talked to Tsuruga-san as Bo since Dark Moon. And now? She wasn't sure if she was ready to listen to him talk about Morizumi-san.

No. _Don't think like that_. She had to be.

Because right now, she wasn't Kyoko Mogami. She was Bo, the mascot actor who used to hate Tsuruga Ren. The mascot actor who is now...Tsuruga Ren's therapist. Really, how did she keep getting herself into the stupidest situations? She took a deep breath and patted the door as firmly as she could. (because her feathers made it impossible to knock).

"Kyok-oh. It's..." Yashiro's face fell and he found himself unable to hide his confusion. With Kyoko's schedule question, he had expected her to show up (despite the fact he requested her to warn him if she planned on jumping in). Instead...it was this...this person again. They really do have the most uncanny timing. He turned back to the dressing room. "Ren, uh, it's your chicken friend."

"I have a name, you know," Kyoko blurted. "I'm 'Bo' and please don't forget that."

Ren laughed, pulling himself out from the chair he occupied. The shine of Koga's accusation that Kyoko may-or-may-not like him had faded the night before and he'd found himself stewing once again with his frustration since the news broke. He'd needed something beyond Yashiro's endless optimism and well-meaning words. The chicken usually had the most interesting way of pulling him from the darkness. "What can I do for you, Bo? Passed my room and decided you haven't yelled at my bad decisions lately?"

"Ha ha ha," she deadpanned, remembering her bad excuse for the last time she'd seen him. This time her excuse wasn't an excuse at all. Or at least...it was more truth than lie. "Birdies at TBM worked with you last night and said something about you being 'off.' So I'm here to investigate."

The truth was obvious that she was still worried about his expression yesterday. And if he wasn't willing to talk to Kyoko about it...maybe he'd be open to talking to Bo about it (even if she did have to make up some poor, innocent gossipers to get her way.

"So...you were worried about me?" He smiled.

She shifted uncomfortably under his smiling gaze. "Uh, yeah. You could phrase it that way."

He grinned. "Thanks for caring." Ren turned to Yashiro. "Can you give us a moment? I think Bo and I need to have a discussion."

"I, uh, sure?" Yashiro mumbled, finding himself in the hallway faster than he could process what was going on. He waved numbly at the duo as Ren settled them down on the couch. _What on earth could they be talking about that he needed to be alone with the chicken_? Did that mean they were talking about things that even _he_ didn't know as Ren's manager?

It took everything in him to keep himself from pressing his ear against the door. But the last thing he needed was for Ren to be any more frustrated with him. Instead, he kept his distance and prayed that the chicken could cheer up Ren's sour-puss attitude.

"Is it love drama again?" She'd asked as soon as the door closed behind Yashiro.

Ren flinched. "You're always straight to the punch and never inaccurate. How'd you guess?" He paused but spoke before Bo could speak. "Ah, I guess you've seen the tabloids. First time I've really been in them," he admits sadly.

Kyoko hesitated. She hardly kept track of gossip and now Tsuruga-san had gotten roped into them? "T-Tabloids?"

He nodded. "The other night, I went out for drinks with an old co-worker and...a woman I'd worked with before kissed me. Without warning, mind you." Ren closed his eyes and focused on breathing through his nose. At this moment he wouldn't be surprised if Kana-san's intentions were always to be caught by the paparazzi. She hadn't done any big work recently if he remembered correctly. "And now I'm afraid that, uh, the girl I've been telling you about will be mad with me."

Kyoko wrinkled her nose. Morizumi-san did seem like the jealous type. "Just explain the situation. There's no reason to wallow in the possibilities if you haven't tried to talk," she said. "Communication is key." _Isn't that what the dramas said, after all?_

"I'm afraid it's not that easy. She was mad at me before this, I think. A different rumor."

"A different rumor?" She tilted her head. "Didn't you just say this was your first time in the tabloids?"

Ren sighed. "It is. However, there's apparently a rumor going around that I'm dating Morizumi Kimiko. I don't know who started it...but she heard it. And I tried explaining that it was false. But we were...interrupted. By her co-star."

It wasn't lost on her that the situation he described was eerily similar to their argument from the day before. But if there's one thing Kyoko knew how to do, it was not to get her hopes up. Maybe he'd had this conversation half a dozen times yesterday. She wouldn't know because he sent her home after her reading was finished. "Oh."

"Furthermore, I think she's getting..." he paused, looking away. He didn't want to say the words out loud. It would only confirm them, no? "I think she's getting closer with her ex. And maybe they'll end up back together."

The thought of Sho managing to sweep Kyoko off her feet was enough to make his blood boil. But he tried to keep in his anger; the last thing he wanted was to scare off his chicken friend. He cooled his expression. "Have any idea what I should do?"

"You have two options," she said carefully. It was stupid to get involved in the business of love advice. All she knew was heartbreak and unrequited feelings. "To remedy the situation, I mean."

He hesitated, leaning in closer to Bo. "I'm listening..."

"Let her go. There's other girls in the world, several who would probably jump at the opportunity to be your girlfriend." She knew she was basically telling him to be stupid in love like she used to be. But letting someone go when they loved someone else was infinitely less painful than letting that someone break your heart.

Ren flinched. "I'm not going to let her go," he gritted between his teeth. What would giving up Kyoko even mean? It hurt too much to even consider. "I love her; I don't just want _any_ girlfriend. I want _her_."

"Then fight for her." The words tasted bitter but Kyoko tried to ignore the ache in her chest. It's what the president was saying. It's impossible to love idly and watch happily as they love someone else. Trying to solve Tsuruga's problems with this mystery girl was surely going to kill her. "Even if you feel silly or stupid or too much. Prove that you're willing to step from your spotlight to be with her."

"I'm trying-" He started. But off Bo's angry energy, he froze.

Kyoko scoffed, losing her nerve. Even she, someone who very much resists love, knew something as simple as that. "No, all I've heard you say is that this girl keeps getting thrown in with her ex. Maybe you're going out of your way to misunderstand things and maybe you're just dense because love is blinding. But I haven't heard you give any indication that you're actually fighting for her."

Tsuruga remained silent hearing this. "I don't want to scare her away," he said finally. "What if doing that? Fighting for her? Finally pushes her away? I couldn't bear it."

"I hate this saying, personally, but surely you've heard? It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved before?" She disagreed with the whole concept, loving and losing hurt a lot more than not loving. Kyoko had experienced that first-hand.

"Tennyson," Ren murmured quietly. He shook the thought away and re-addressed the chicken. "What's a saying with your endorsement?"

"If you asked me a year ago, I would have told you not to bother. _Love is useless_." She spat the last part and tried to not to choke on the sentiment. She feared if the President heard any nonsense like that from her now, she would never graduate from the Love Me section. Kyoko sighed, trying to keep her breath even. Her cheeks burnt and she was grateful once again for the shield of her costume. "Now? Love isn't simple or easy or even fun. But it's usually worth it."

He frowned. "That's not a saying."

She smiled wryly. "No? But it _is_ what I believe."

The two of them fell into silence. Kyoko felt sorry for whoever this mystery girl...she felt a comradery with her. Too bad they'll probably never meet. Ren, on the other hand, was dwelling in Bo's advice. _Prove to her that you're willing to step from your spotlight to be with her._ While he knew vaguely what it meant...he was unsure on how to actually accomplish that.

He still harbored the underlying fear of pushing her away.

Pounding on the door interrupted the silence. "Ren, it's time! Say goodbye to your chicken!" Yashiro called through the door.

"It's _Bo_!" Kyoko called, stirring from her thoughts. She pushed herself up and hobbled to the door. "Nice talking with you, Tsuruga. Sorry I had to be a drag."

Ren laughed. "Don't worry about it. You have some good points I need to consider," he said, following the chicken. He pulled the door open and ushered his friend out to the hall. "Talk again, I hope?"

Kyoko froze. "Maybe. But this chicken costume is a pain to talk in."

"We could talk openly? Without the mask, I mean." Tsuruga appraised the mascot chicken carefully. "You can trust me with your identity."

Kyoko looked away, finding the hallway art particularly interesting. _He's starting to get too close_. It was so much simpler when it was just accidental meetings at TBM. She should have never gone out of her way to see him as Bo. She needs to stop doing this. "I'm afraid you'll hate me forever if I told you who I was."

Ren frowned. He didn't particularly hold grudges against anybody-and Bo knew that. _So why say something like that_? "What's that supposed to mean?"

She shook her head and turned away. Kyoko brushed past "Goodbye, Tsuruga-san. Good luck with your love."

As he watched the bird waddle down the hall, Ren couldn't help but shake the feeling that he'd never see that chicken ever again. It almost hurt as much he thought it'd be to lose Kyoko.

Almost.

See? This is what happened when he pushed. People left.

. . .

Despite her best mental objections, Kyoko found herself outside of Tsuruga Ren's dressing room (though it was a different studio) for the second time that day. Again she neglected to inform Yashiro-san of her arrival. Because this was an ambush.

She wished she could be heartless and leave Tsuruga-san to wallow in his depression and his relationship problems. But if he was going to get his girl, she needed to make sure he wasn't still mad at her for stupid Sho-related reasons. He was going to lose his love if he was distracted by cockroaches. "Tsuruga-san, Yashiro-san! You can't ignore me! I already asked the stagehands, I know you're in the-"

The door burst open before she could finish. Yashiro, though surprised by the teenager's appearance, was relieved to see her face. "Sorry, Kyoko-chan. I was afraid it was the TBM chicken again." Yashiro pinched the bridge of his nose. "They put Ren in a weird mood and I didn't want to deal with it again.

Kyoko blinked innocently. "Bo? You're scared of a mascot chicken?"

That was enough to pique Ren's interest. He peeked out from behind his manager's shoulder. "Mogami-san, you know Bo?"

She looked away. "I work at TBM sometimes. Of course I know about Bo."

"Do you happen to know who's inside the costume?"

"Sorry. Sworn to secrecy with the rest of the cast." Kyoko pinched her lips together. _There he is again with trying to unmask Bo._ She looked back to the men. "But I'm not here to talk about a chicken."

Yashiro looked at her with wide eyes. _Was this an ambush_? She didn't warn him... "Oh?"

"What are you here for, then?" Ren was far more blunt than his manager. Despite all the earlier encouragement from Yashiro and his previous conversation with the chicken, he couldn't help his anger from earlier bubbling up from his chest.

He still couldn't figure out what the chicken meant by 'stepping out from the spotlight.' Any of his typical appreciation of the chicken was gone within hours of the conversation. It seemed hopeless now. Kyoko was here only to cut the thread of communication. Then she'd leave him just like the damned chicken. He wished she'd get it over with."

Kyoko flinched at his aggressive tone but she refused to let him get to her. She wouldn't let him ambush her right back. "A proposition. Dinner. And a talk we need to talk."

 _We need to talk_. The infamous break-up words. Worse because they weren't even dating. He smiled sweetly. "And if I refuse?"

Yashiro jumped forward and waved his charge's words away. "We'll go," he assured Kyoko.

"Excuse me, you don't make my decisions."

"I kind of do, as your manager," Yashiro countered. He smiled, his iciness countering Ren's own gentleman's grin. This game was getting very old, very fast. Wasn't Ren supposed to be the mature one out of the trio? "You're not going to play games with her to satisfy her ego, Ren. You should know better; you're acting like a child."

Ren flinched at the accusation. He felt as if this wasn't Yashiro...instead, it felt like something the President would accuse him of. _A Child_. If his manager knew the truth of his identity, the phrasing would be different: _You're letting Kuon in too much._ And while he was accepting that sometimes Kuon would peek out as he became more comfortable with Kyoko-Kuon's jealousy wasn't a good look for him.

He needed to change angles on this. Quickly. Before he succeeded in pushing her away.

"Hey, it's better than what I was going to say." Kyoko didn't wait for their speculation to settle in. "I've been told that my greatest asset is my guts. You two should ask Sawara-san to recount his horror stories."

 _Her guts_. The was the very thing he insulted when they first met. Because that's what this was bordering into, no? If he wasn't careful that's where they would end up. Back to square one. Ren sighed, shaking Kuon's bitterness. "I apologize, Mogami-san."

Kyoko grinned. "Always beating me to the punch. I have my own apology, Tsuruga-san." She bowed deeply. "But first, dinner."

. . .

Kyoko directed the men to a restaurant that, really, only surprised Yashiro. A family diner in a quiet part of the city. The three of them piled into a sticky plastic booth and it was then he had to admit, she was rather smart with her decision. Nobody would ever expect Tsuruga Ren at a place like this... Not that it mattered too much because the place was practically empty at the late hour.

"Of course, I'll be paying," Kyoko chirped after they ordered. This was part of the plan. She strong-armed them into accompanying her, the last thing she could ask is for someone else to pay.

"We can't have a teenager pay for us, Kyoko-chan!"

She smiled. "I know. But I also know the manager from a previous job so the chances of either of you paying tonight are slim-to-none."

"You're devious," Yashiro accused. Really, is this Kyoko she's been all along? It couldn't be because old-Kyoko would have never done something this bold. Something's changed recently and he couldn't place his finger on what. Needless to say, he already had a plan. There was no way he would allow her to pay for this. And judging by Ren's face...he thought the same.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," she said sagely, pulling her hands into her lap.

But after all the build-up, Kyoko made sure she didn't start the main discussion until after they all finished eating. Though she was positive that nervous conversations were probably better on an empty stomach, she knew she could walk away if things got too tense (like she was worried they would). She even waited patiently as Yashiro dashed to the car for an antacid.

"I need to re-address yesterday's...situation." She started carefully when Yashiro piled back into the booth. "And I'd like if...if you listened first before interrupting."

The men looked at each other curiously. It was as if both of them were accusing each other of being the one more likely to interrupt. They turned back to Kyoko and nodded quietly.

Kyoko managed a weak grin but refused to look away. She could do this! "What you heard and saw yesterday...I know what it looked like. But Sho and I are...we're not together. He keeps bothering me, yes, but it's less like a cockroach now. He's more like...an annoying older brother. I don't know much about siblings outside of Moko-san's but he's like her older brothers. In the past few months, our dynamic changed. It kind of had to." She faced Tsuruga, biting her lip. "I told you I met Corn again. In Guam."

Yashiro couldn't help himself. He'd never heard the name before. "Corn?"

"A long story. Short version, a dear childhood friend. Tsuruga-san might be inclined to explain the long version later."

Kyoko didn't notice Ren blanch at the prospect. It was hard enough to keep his identity under wraps with just Kyoko. Yashiro was one to pry when he really didn't want him to.

She continued. "I learned a lot in that brief reunion. I've been spending my time this year wanting to re-establish myself as Kyoko, someone who's never lived for herself before. But I kept letting my anger derail me every time Shotaro was brought up. For someone who wanted to move on, I kept dwelling in the past.

"Corn helped me realize that if I'm happy with where I am now...or more appropriately...happy with the path I'm on, I need to appreciate the path that led me here. And that means being thankful that Sho broke my heart. It means being thankful for my mother pushing me away because it led me to Sho... It's why I was able to jump back so quickly after meeting with my mother."

Kyoko took a deep breath, forcing herself to keep her eyes on Tsuruga as she continued. She wanted nothing more than to hide her face and keep quiet. But she would be strong. "If I were to be so bold, I would say that I'm very happy to be here...with, um, with you, Tsuruga-san." Her cheeks flushed. "You've helped me a lot this year. As a teacher but also..."

"A friend?" Ren offered. Friendship would be the next step after senpai/kouhai, right?

"Mmm, we can call it that." Kyoko smiled, scratching her forehead. It was better than any word she could've come up with without hinting at her underlying feelings. "So as...friends...I'd hate for you to get the wrong impression of this morning. I will never go back to Sho's side for as long as I live. Please don't worry about me relapsing into a girl who finds an identity in her love-life; I promise to grow into an actress you can be proud of."

Keeping his face as neutral as he could, Ren nodded, pleased with her declaration. He'd really been stupid these past two days, huh? Like a hormonal teenager. How is it that they switched places? She'd become the mature one in their dynamic. He messed up. "Mogami-san, I'm already incredibly proud of you."

"Ah, I feel like I'm interrupting something very important."

Kyoko jumped, turning to the new face at the tableside. "Satomi-san! Don't worry about it! But I am ready for the check!"

"Sorry, Mogami. Your boys are sneakier than you gave them credit for." The waitress laughed, waving a stack of bills that probably covered the bill three times over. "Consider your dinner paid for."

"My-" Kyoko whipped to face Ren. Her face burnt red. _This isn't what was supposed to happen!_ "Tsuruga-sannn!"

He grinned a genuine smile for the first time in what felt like forever. "I'll make it up to you, Mogami-san. But your speech inspired me. Consider it a...a gift. For your impressive growth this year."

Her cheeks grew even redder. "Tsu-Tsuruga-san..."

"I'm gonna...I'm gonna get the car. You two finish up here and come out when you're ready." Yashiro interrupted quickly, sliding out of the diner booth.

"Yashiro-san!" Kyoko gasped. She'd been so focused on Tsuruga-san that she'd completely forgotten that their shared manager was with them. She'd been so stupid! "Wait, we can-"

"Don't worry about it, Kyoko-chan. I'm just happy that all is well again." He smiled brightly at the teen. "I think we'll be able to survive the last few days of sharing me between the two of you!" Yashiro winked, turning away before he could be pulled back into the booth.

He couldn't help his smile as he made it back to the car. This was progress if he'd ever seen it. Both Kyoko and Ren were in a much better place than they were the day before. That foreboding feeling was alleviated. Maybe...just maybe...they could start inching toward a relationship. Kyoko didn't seem ready yet to accept love. But she was in a better place than when they first met her last year.

"Mogami-san, before we take you home, can we talk for a moment more?"

She stopped from pushing herself out of the booth to follow their manager. Kyoko sat back down and looked up at Ren very carefully. "Of course?"

He nodded, taking a deep breath. Could he do this? "I'm going to keep being the person you need me to be. My behavior yesterday...and tonight in the dressing room...was inexcusable. I should have never been so rude, you've done nothing to deserve it." He sighed, pulling his hand through his hair. "I over-reacted to the situation and didn't let you explain when you wanted to."

It was similar to his apology back during Tragic Marker when he broke character (once again because of Sho). But this time...this time had to be the last time he made this promise. He couldn't keep breaking in front of her.

"Tsuruga-san...you don't, you don't need to apologize."

Ren shook his head. "Of course I do. I made a mistake and I'm going to try hard to make sure it doesn't happen again. This isn't your burden to bear; it's mine." He forced a smile and reached out to tousle her bangs. "I don't want to disappoint you, Mogami-san."

"You-" She stopped herself off of Tsuruga's expression. This isn't something he would allow her to reject. Kyoko smiled, her cheeks going pink again. It's times like this when she knew she couldn't have ever helped falling for him. It's also times like this when she didn't mind love at all. "Thank you, Tsuruga-san."

He was happy to see her accept his words without objection. His hand fell from her hair to the middle ground between them. "Friends?"

Kyoko froze, looking down at his hand. _A handshake_? She couldn't help but laugh and take his hand in her own. "Friends!"

They burst into laughter and pulled themselves out of their booth. Together, they walked side by side back to the car. If anybody saw them, nobody would ever guess that, up until an hour ago, things were tense between the two actors. Instead, it's just as it's always been. Comfortable banter and friendly exchanges.

It wasn't much.

But it was a start.

 **~FIN~**

 **A/N: Also, a huge thanks to SubtleCuddle for letting me bother her with this (and reminding me to correct my sleep-deprived spelling and grammar). Thank you for sticking with me.**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave a Review!**


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